This application is related to and claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application No. 60/115,197 filed Jan. 6, 1999, and the following identified U.S. patent applications, which are incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/707,623, entitled xe2x80x9cEducational and Training Devices and Methodsxe2x80x9d filed on Sep. 5, 1996 and issued on Oct. 5, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,333;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/641,911, entitled xe2x80x9cInformation Retrieval and Presentation Systems With Direct Access To Retrievable Items Of Information,xe2x80x9d filed on May 2, 1996 and issued on Mar. 12, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,369;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/624,983, entitled xe2x80x9cOperation of Information/ Entertainment Centers,xe2x80x9d filed on Mar. 29, 1996 and issued on Jun. 9, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,304, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application No. 08/569,310 filed Dec. 8, 1995;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/624,984, entitled xe2x80x9cData Storage Devices,xe2x80x9d filed on Mar. 29, 1996 and issued on Sep. 1, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,784, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/569,310 filed Dec. 8, 1995;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/625,719, entitled xe2x80x9cMethods of Producing Data Storage Devices for Appliances,xe2x80x9d filed on Mar. 29, 1996 and issued on Apr. 27, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,462, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/569,310 filed Dec. 8, 1995;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/621,638, entitled xe2x80x9cSystems In Which Information Can Be Retrieved From An Encoded Laser Readable Disc,xe2x80x9d filed on Mar. 26, 1996 and issued on Mar. 8, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,102, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/569,310, filed Dec. 8, 1995; and
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/569,310, entitled xe2x80x9cSystems With A Remote Control In Which Information Can Be Retrieved From An Encoded Laser Readable Disc,xe2x80x9d filed Dec. 8, 1995 and issued on May 5, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,254, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/505,969, filed Jul. 24, 1995, now abandoned.
Heretofore invented have been certain new and novel products which feature an integrated module having: (a) a player for an optically readable, encoded data storage device such as a video compact disc, an audio compact disc, a laser disc, or a digital video disc; (b) a player for retrieving data from the disc; and (c) a screen on which the retrieved information can be displayed. Stored on the optically readable disc is data constituting a hierarchy of user-retrievable, multiple choice menus and, for each of the choices in the lowest level menu employed in navigating a particular course through the hierarchy, instructions or other information sought by the user. With the appliance in a COACH mode of operation, the selected information can be retrieved from the disc and displayed statically on the screen of the system or presented as a video for visual and audible reception, often as a demonstration of a technique for performing a particular task or a step of that task. Various products in this family have one or more additional, user-selectable operating modes in which the appliance is operative to carry out a different function called up by choosing the appropriate user-selectable mode. Examples of the operating modes built into various modules are:
These have now been invented and disclosed herein certain new and novel appliances of the character described above. Appliances embodying the principles of the present invention have a COACH mode of operation as described above and also an INTERNET mode of operation which allows an appliance user to easily and quickly connect to and reach a site on the Internet. To employ the INTERNET mode of operation, the appliance user does not need to know anything about computers or how computers are used to access the Internet.
Appliances employing the principles of the present invention may also have one or more of the other operating modes discussed abovexe2x80x94ENTERTAINMENT, APPLIANCE, TELEPHONE, or SECURITY. The user employs dedicated mode selection buttons to select the ENTERTAINMENT, INTERNET, COACH, and TELEPHONE modes. The dedicated buttons are typically found on a remote control component of the appliance, but these buttons can also be duplicated in the integrated module of the appliance. The TELEPHONE mode may also be entered via a conventional telephonic component of the appliance, and operation of the appliance is automatically switched to the SECURITY mode when a doorbell at a controlled entrance is rung. Diagnostic functions are invoked automatically by information received from the control box of a controlled appliance and by commands issued by the appliance user and from the service/repair facility.
As suggested above, the ability to log onto the Internet by pressing a single button is a significant advantage of appliances embodying the principles of the present invention. This makes the Internet accessible to persons having no experience with or interest in computers and may allow even an experienced computer user to reach an Internet site more quickly.
The objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to the reader from the foregoing and the appended claims and as the ensuing detailed description and discussion of the invention proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.